1979 Dennis RS fire engine

1979 Dennis RS fire engine (preserved) driving on the M4 in Dublin during April 2007. This vehicle has a Perkins V8-540 engine and an Allison MT643 automatic gearbox and was new in May 1979. This appliance is a beast of a machine to drive and is very fast, particularly for an appliance of its age (almost 30 years old). The gearbox, for whatever reason, is very "frantic" and is very hard to keep in high gear, it wants foot-to-the-floor all the time, otherwise it will keep changing down all the time for maximum acceleration. Due to the traffic conditions it's 180 bhp Perkins V8 engine is not done justice in the video, however it makes a good video of an in-traffic road scene.

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• Dennis
• RS
• Perkins
• V8-540

[43177VP185]

Lovely, especially the high revs at 0:43. What's the engine speed, and is it turbocharged? Thanks for posting this.

[markthebusman]

Its a non-turbo, normally aspirated V8... Engine revs about 2500-3000rpm before it changes gear... I no longer own this vehicle by the way!!

[mlps93]

Lovely sound. I have a video i will upload ASAP once i get back to canda. Is a Hong Kong Dennis pumper perkins. Sweeeeeeeet sound acclerating

[markthebusman]

Yeah they are one of a kind! The V8-540 as fitted to the this early RS gives more of a "roar" as it accelerates, as it has to work much harder than the V8-640's - which have a real low down "grunt" and make less of a roar

[daxo1992]

wow! what a noise ;)

[markthebusman]

Yeah, you can't beat the roar of a Perkins V8!

[ClassicTVMan1981X]

@markthebusman

And of course that leaves only the '86 with the V8.640, right?

[Beenpkeeper]

Brings back memories to me also, the RS was a bit gutless, the DS although a bit smaller was a nice pump to drive and a bit more nippy, but to me the best of the lot was a Bedford jag, it could be chucked around anywhere but the engines did have a habit of blowing up on the way to a shout, the one i used to drive made its final journey as a emergency vehicle to a property fire makeup, i'd only driven 2 miles when part of the engine was left on the road, we did got there, just.

[Laudrien]

This is enginemusic.

[goodmatt73]

Just sounds great Brings back memories

[BLAKEYBBLAKEY]

I love the sound of that Perkins,great engine.

[mlps93]

yup!

Dennis is a beauty